Blossoming In the Woods
by FerryBerry
Summary: Post S3, Pre S4. Mr. Schuester finds a way to get the seniors together one more time: with a week of camping. Along the way, between punishing Finn with the silent treatment and enjoying her newly settled friendship with Quinn, Rachel discovers things can change quite quickly in the woods.
1. Part 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. All belongs to _Glee_ writers and creators.

**Part 1**

Early August was beginning to look a lot like late fall in Ohio this year. Rachel could only imagine how cold it must be in Michigan's upper peninsula then. Luckily, she'd thought ahead, packing a parka, faux fur-lined boots, wool hats and gloves, long johns, the thickest scarf she could find, and all the flannel she owned. Just in case. The weather forecast said it was supposed to be cool but mild, but Rachel had an instinctive distrust of weather forecasts, so she packed heavy.

Finn was particularly displeased about this, having to cart around her giant suitcase because none of the other boys would. But it served him right, dumping her the way he had the night before she went off to New York City. Well, not exactly dumping her, she supposed. Leaving her in the dark of the night without a word was pretty much the same thing, though, wasn't it?

He wasn't anticipating seeing her again so soon afterward, though, but Mr. Schuester had mentioned something at the end of the year about getting all the seniors around for a get-together of some kind, and at the end of July, he'd come through. He contacted them on their group page on Facebook, telling them a buddy of his in the UP owned a huge tract of land up there and was willing to let them camp out there for a couple of weeks - and they had enough left over from the budget to get a Greyhound bus to transport them.

Rachel couldn't resist the idea of seeing all her friends again, even if it was only the graduated seniors - and Brittany - going. So she'd signed on instantly, shortly followed by Kurt and Mercedes and Finn. The rest of them were slower to accept, but eventually even Mike agreed, despite the fact that Tina wouldn't be going. He sat at the back of the bus with Noah and Finn, chatting up a storm about football or whatever boys talked about. Maybe about ex-girlfriends, given the way Noah kept looking over at Quinn.

Quinn. She always seemed so above it all. Sitting there in the middle of the bus with a book in her lap, a tan jacket on over a snug plaid shirt and jeans, along with a little neckerchief tied about her long, elegant neck. Growing blonde locks curled behind her ears. Unbothered, unfazed, untouched by the boys talking behind her, Santana and Brittany chattering next to her, and Rachel, Mercedes, and Kurt jabbering up front together.

But Quinn wasn't so icy as all that anymore, and she reminded Rachel of it each and every time she looked up from beneath long lashes, caught Rachel's eyes, and smiled. For all the differences in Rachel's relationships with everyone, even since the school year ended, things hadn't changed between her and Quinn, since prom or those tickets. Well, maybe they had changed, but if so, it was all for the better. Secret smiles and brushing fingers were now common between them, and though Rachel didn't quite know what the tingling in the pit of her stomach meant each and every time it happened, she knew she liked it quite a lot.

She liked having Quinn as a friend a lot in general. Quinn was sweet to her now, and strange as it felt, it was equally nice to feel. When Kurt tired of her rambling, Quinn listened with seemingly endless patience, either over Skype or on the phone or messaging. When Mercedes was so overwhelmed with all her new experiences in LA that she didn't even ask how Rachel was doing, Quinn's message asking about her day was waiting in her inbox. While Finn stared at her with big, longing puppy dog eyes, Quinn smiled and winked at her.

Not to mention all the gifts Quinn had been giving her since the tickets. They weren't big gifts like that, just little trinkets sent in the mail or slipped into Rachel's purse or pocket whenever they saw each other, but they meant the world to Rachel. A tiny, fuzzy otter holding a gold starfish for a keychain, a small hand sanitizer bottle with a berry scent, a New York shaped magnet, even a packet of gum once when Rachel had been complaining of too much garlic on her breath. They were small tokens, but they were everything.

If all it had taken was confessing to Quinn what she meant to her to unlock the castle doors, Rachel wished she'd done it a long time ago.

Fingers snapped in her face. "Earth to Rachel!"

She jumped and abruptly offered Kurt an indulgent and apologetic smile. He had gotten a lot more testy since finding out that Brittany was coming along on the trip and Blaine hadn't been allowed. Mr. Schuester had been pretty firm about only the graduated seniors coming, since otherwise he'd have had to ask Mr. Figgins about funding the trip, and everyone knew how that would go. Brittany was only able to come along because she was supposed to be a senior, Santana was frightening, and Quinn was paying for her. Not that Quinn had outright said this to anyone, but Rachel could put the pieces together.

None of the rest of them were rich enough to pay for another person to go, and that included Santana. They all barely covered their own costs for food on the trip. So when she suddenly said she could pay for Brittany to go, Rachel figured it out pretty quickly from there. Quinn was the only one of them with enough funds to manage it. And with enough sneaky good deeds under her belt already not to mind if Santana took credit.

Of course, Mike and Kurt weren't willing to brave asking Santana to pay for their significant others to go, no matter how put out they were about it. And if Kurt had figured out the real philanthropist, he hadn't said so, and he was too proud to ask Quinn anyway, especially after how he'd treated her about the whole Karofsky thing. Rachel wasn't about to spill Quinn's secret even if she thought he would've asked, anyway. They couldn't all mooch off of Quinn's money and generosity, and besides, if Quinn wanted to help out Kurt, she would've. Personally, Rachel didn't think she owed Kurt anything, and she was being generous enough in paying for Brittany's way so that Santana wouldn't be a cranky bitch the entire trip.

Quinn was always taking one for the team, now that Rachel thought about it.

Another finger snapping brought Rachel back to life, but this time it was at least for good reason, since they were stopped for a gas and bathroom break. It would take about six hours or so to get where they were going, all in all, and a bus full of teenagers - even almost-adult ones - required more than one stop in that time. Fortunately, Mercedes and Kurt took up chatting about something or other when they stopped for lunch, so Rachel was able to spend most of the rest of the ride leaning her head back against a comfortable velvety headrest, listening to the sweet sounds of Mae cooing from her headphones, and watching the vibrant green woodlands and endless corn fields fly by.

They arrived at what seemed to be the main house around three in the afternoon. It was a log cabin, of sorts, though not the small shack kind, but rather the big rich modern kind, stretching out and up in every direction. The bus stopped to let them off in the circle drive out front, where their suitcases and tents were moved onto a hay wagon strapped to two hulking Belgian horses. Mr. Schuester's friend was at the reins, though he hardly looked like he belonged there in his stylish dress and neatly kempt appearance. He didn't seem interested in conversing with anyone aside from Mr. Schuester, either, so they all kept their introductions short, piled up into the wagon - Quinn stopped to haul Rachel up by both hands, thankfully, or Rachel wasn't sure she'd have been able to climb up that height with her little legs - and took up chattering amongst each other as they had on the bus.

Rachel chose a seat next to Quinn, patting the space next to her for Kurt, and he occupied her with his general disgust with nature and the outdoors for the twenty minute ride down a wide dirt road beyond the house out to the campground, which was really just a wide clearing in the woods. Once the man pulled the wagon around and stopped, the boys hopped out first to unload bags and tents again and get started on setting them up around the campfire rocks ready for use. Quinn jumped down before Rachel and helped her down again, cupping her under her armpits. That tingling feeling stirred in the pit of Rachel's stomach as she smiled up at Quinn in thanks; Quinn just winked and stepped away to pick a spot for her tent.

She had the largest one of all of them, of course; it fit four people, and since it was her tent, Quinn had chosen the other three occupants herself. Santana and Brittany were shoe-ins, of course, but to Rachel's surprise, Quinn chose her for number three. Not that she should've been surprised by this, but she'd assumed Mercedes would be closer to the number three spot than she was, and though maybe Quinn simply wanted to allow Kurt and Mercedes to bunk together, Rachel preferred to think she was just Quinn's favorite aside from Santana and Brittany.

It would be nice, being a favorite of Quinn's.

Kurt tugged her away from the back of the wagon to dig into his suitcase for bug spray - the mosquitoes were already attacking him. Mr. Schuester's friend drove away once the wagon was completely unloaded and he had given Mr. Schuester what Rachel hoped was a detailed map of the area. As much as she rather liked camping and the outdoors, she had no interest in being lost. Fortunately, Mr. Schuester had that covered, too. He handed out whistles to all of them, in the case that they wandered too far away from the group and weren't sure of their surroundings. Rachel tucked it under her jacket before she went to help Kurt and Mercedes with their tent.

Noah, Mike, and Finn had gotten a start on the stakes in the ground for everyone - though they hadn't finished - and then became too occupied with erecting their own tent to bother with anyone else's. As a result, Mr. Schuester was putting up his by himself, and since Kurt was kind of nature-dumb, Rachel figured it would help him and Mercedes both if she assisted. Quinn already had hers half up, despite Santana and Brittany spending most of their time 'helping' in goofing off together, but still, when it seemed Kurt and Mercedes had their smaller tent mostly under control, Rachel trotted over to aid Quinn instead.

Quinn smiled once she noticed Rachel - which was only after she took one of the ties directly from Quinn's hands. She had that look on her face, that furrowed brow and pursed lips, the look of Quinn concentrating, but it eased the moment she looked at Rachel.

"Thanks."

Rachel nodded and smiled back, fiddling with the tie as Quinn stepped around to the next one.

"So how are you so good at this?" she prompted when Quinn was nearly finished, so that she could straighten and brush her hands off and compose her thoughts before she answered.

"Didn't think pitching tents was in my repertoire?" Quinn teased instead, stepping over to grab hers and Rachel's suitcases.

Rachel almost protested - after all, Finn had had to carry it, it was so heavy, and she certainly didn't want to cause another back injury for Quinn. But she just swung the gigantic thing up over her shoulder and went into the tent with it. Rachel bit her lip, impressed, and trotted in after her hurriedly.

"Well, I just never really saw you as...well, you know."

"Butch?" Quinn prompted and abruptly disappeared again, returning with their sleeping bags.

Rachel took hers with a smile of thanks again, but corrected, "Outdoorsy. Or butch, I guess." She giggled, swaying with her bag.

Quinn plopped hers down along the far left wall of the tent. "You can pick wherever. I like the outside, though, so if you do, too, you'll have to grab the other side before Santana gets to it."

Rachel just settled hers next to Quinn's, unhooking it to spread neatly across the floor of the tent and adjusting her suitcase to sit just above it.

"My family used to go camping a lot when I was little. Putting up the tent was a whole-family part of that," Quinn was explaining, unzipping the side of her sleeping bag and then shifting on her knees to her suitcase. "Or at least it was supposed to be, until my sister complained about her hands being sore and Mom had to gush over her until she stopped whining."

Rachel chuckled, leaning herself against her suitcase as she watched Quinn packing away her neckerchief and pull out a hair band to loop her blonde locks up - loosely, though. Not like when she was on the Cheerios and she pulled it back so tight it strained her features, made her look even harsher than she had been. Now strands drifted around her face, framing it and tickling it no matter how many times she tucked it behind her ears.

"I've always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling. But then someone always tells me how awful it is," she giggled out, "and I'm happy to be an only again."

Quinn shot her a quick smile and shrugged, offering Rachel a granola bar. "It's not that bad for everyone. Mercedes has a great relationship with her brother. My sister's just the devil, that's all."

Rachel tugged at the wrapping with a little difficulty and grinned. "What does that make you?"

"An angel, of course." Quinn smirked, plopping down to her elbow next to Rachel as she took a bite off her own granola snack.

Rachel giggled, looking over at her lying there so casually. How Quinn made even the smallest, most menial thing look attractive was something Rachel would never figure out. Even the way she snacked, lounging on her side, taking nonchalant bites - it was as if she was a cat; that was the closest Rachel could come to pinning it down. She had that same air about her as a sunbathing cat, flicking its tail and purring, maybe occasionally reaching to clean itself. Like she hadn't a care in the world, like she _owned_ the world. Like she knew everyone was admiring her, including Rachel, and she simply thought, 'Admire away, I'm lovely, I know.'

Not that Rachel thought Quinn was narcissistic by any means. As a matter of fact, Quinn was probably the least selfish person Rachel knew of, which she knew would get quite a few scoffs from some people, but those people didn't look at anything beyond the mere facts of Quinn's life. They didn't think about how she must've loved her baby, but forced herself to do the best thing and to pretend she didn't care. They didn't think how she cared about Finn and how upset she was to see him hurt, but how she did it because her alternative was Noah - who wouldn't have picked Finn, honestly? And they didn't think about her kindness toward Mercedes, or toward Sam when he was homeless and had dumped her, or any of the other countless acts of generosity popping into Rachel's mind at the moment.

The problem was Quinn's discretion. Her acts of kindness were so true and pure, so altruistic in nature, that she didn't need or want applause for them, so they were rarely heard of or considered. Rachel thought it a crying shame, and she wanted to say something to let Quinn know her deeds were recognized, to let her know someone appreciated her, but before she could get a word out, Santana and Brittany came crashing in to set up their own sleeping bags and suitcases - Brittany in the middle next to Rachel, and Santana on the outside.

Quinn helped Rachel to her feet after Mr. Schuester blew his whistle to get them all out and he spent some time speechifying - as usual. Primarily about how all the trails led back to the camp, but if anyone was lost from the group, they should blow their whistle and someone would whistle back, and they should follow the signal until they were reunited. He also mentioned there was beach access at one point, but that he didn't recommend swimming on a chilly day like this one - Rachel hadn't brought her swimsuit anyway. He added that he only needed a couple of the boys to come with him to collect firewood from the main house and that dinner would be at seven. Until then, they were free to do as they pleased.

Finn and Noah took off with Mr. Schuester immediately, while the rest of them went about setting up a volleyball net and some other games Mr. Schuester or they themselves had brought along for entertainment. Rachel went instinctively to follow Quinn - evidently to check out the trails - when Kurt snagged her arm and dragged her into the tent with him and Mercedes.

They spent most of the afternoon smacking invisible bugs off of Kurt's neck and occasionally emerging to join in on some real fun, even though all three of them were pretty bad at volleyball. And horseshoes. And Frisbee. And even croquet. But at least when Noah, Finn, and Mr. Schuester returned with armfuls of uncut firewood, they got some music going, and the three of them danced around the campfire and sang out at the top of their lungs.

All of the boys except Kurt took a shot at chopping the firewood, but it didn't go well at all. Finn flailed the axe about so dangerously that Mr. Schuester stopped him immediately and set him to finding some brush to use in the fire for the evening. Mike and Noah had a little more success, but they kept lodging the axe in the wood instead of breaking through, or hitting off the middle. Mr. Schuester was just about as bad as Finn, but at least he didn't almost murder anyone. Eventually, they gave up and set about gathering sticks and twigs to light the campfire with, which was just as well, really.

Quinn didn't return until it was dark and Mr. Schuester was popping out hot dogs and metal rods to heat them with. She took her place next to Santana so silently Rachel wouldn't have seen her had she not been actively looking for her. Quinn just shot her a wink and grabbed her own rod and hot dog. Rachel, of course, had her own tofu one to heat up.

They passed around buns and condiments about the circle, and by the third hot dog, everyone was full but no one would say no to marshmallows and s'mores. They were all sticky-mouthed and fingered and full afterward, but Noah and Mr. Schuester grabbed out their guitars and they sang along to a few campfire songs anyway, until the feeble fire was starting to dwindle and yawns were making the rounds. They all practically sleepwalked to their tents, and Brittany and Santana stole it to change first, so Rachel shyly and sleepily hung onto Quinn's arm while they stood outside waiting - partly because Quinn let her hug her now, and she enjoyed abusing the privilege, and partly because Finn had started to make his way over and she just wasn't ready to talk to him yet, let alone forgive him.

Rachel crawled inside after the two giggling girls finally emerged, and then Quinn took her turn and waved them all inside when she was finished, taking care of the zipper once everyone had found their sleeping bags and crawled in, holding a small flashlight in her mouth to light the way. Rachel snuggled down deep, smiling up at Quinn as she found her way to her own bag, slid in, and pulled out a book to read under the cover of her sleeping bag. There was already a look of concentration on her face, even before she got comfortable with the flashlight under her chin and the book setting open on her chest, but Rachel couldn't resist interrupting just once to whisper, "Good night, Quinn."

The brow smoothed out and Quinn's lips relaxed into a smile. "Good night, Rachel."

Rachel pulled her sleep mask over her eyes then, curling up contentedly onto her side. It was surprisingly easy to get to sleep, even out in the woods, on the hard ground, when it was so chilly. She had three bodies as a buffer, at least, not to mention the tent, and her sleeping bag was rather comfy. Somehow, though, she started to feel _too_ hot in the night, and the restlessness that came from trying to get cooler in a sleeping bag, where her feet had no escape, brought her to the awareness that there was moaning coming from her right.

Not pained moaning, either. Suddenly Rachel wished Quinn _hadn't_ picked her to be the third person in the tent. Santana and Brittany were actually, physically _doing it_ in the tent! With Rachel and Quinn right next to them! It was as if someone had shouted, 'Look, crash!', because she couldn't help but peek over her shoulder, just for a moment. The sleeping bags were shifting and writhing, like some great red and blue monster. Rachel should've known. They'd zipped their sleeping bags together to make one big one.

"Oh, San."

Rachel's ears were hot, and she turned back over quickly, clenching her eyes shut. Maybe if she just went back to sleep she would forget. It would be like it was just a dream she had. Only how was she supposed to get to sleep when they were being so...noisy! At least Quinn wasn't awake to be embarrassed, too.

Or was she? Rachel bit her lip, peering up slowly at the sleeping bag next to her, where Quinn was staring at the ceiling of the tent, tapping her fingers where they were linked over her stomach on top of the sleeping bag. She didn't look as horrified as Rachel felt - not even close. As a matter of fact, she looked bored. Maybe she had ear plugs in. Or perhaps, Rachel pondered, this wasn't the first time she'd been exposed to those two doing it while she was in the room.

A wave of sympathy overwhelmed her and she murmured, "Oh…"

_That_ was enough to get Quinn's attention. Just a tiny, little 'oh.' Amongst all the noise of Brittany groaning 'yeah, yeah, yeah' and Santana grunting and cooing to her 'sexy duck', Quinn heard Rachel say 'oh.' Either her hearing was ridiculously good, or Rachel had said it louder than she'd intended to.

But she didn't get to analyze any of that, really, because Quinn didn't smile when she looked at her this time. She didn't smirk, she didn't look sympathetic, she didn't roll her eyes. She just stared at Rachel in the relative darkness. The tingling returned full force, but it wasn't just tingling this time. It was electric bursts through Rachel's core, between her legs. Her sex started to feel fuzzy, like when she laid on her arm for too long. Suddenly she wasn't thinking of Santana and Brittany over there, she was rather hearing only feminine moans building and building, as she stared back at Quinn's intent hazel eyes and wetted her bottom lip.

Rachel bit down on it immediately afterward, sucking in a breath as Quinn's gaze flickered over her with hardly a movement. She could only tell because of the movement of her eyelashes, and the feel of eyes sweeping over her body, and though she was buried in clothes and a sleeping bag, Rachel had never felt so naked in her entire life. Her nipples strained against the fabric of her flannel pajama shirt and she pressed her thighs tighter together, feeling the moisture and heat collect with every moan behind her and every moment under Quinn's gaze.

Finally, Brittany came, and Rachel let her breath go in a whoosh, feeling similarly exhausted all of a sudden. The tent went ungodly silent as Santana and Brittany settled to sleep. Crickets and nightbirds made their presence known beyond the tent, but Quinn didn't look away, so neither did Rachel, at least until she fell asleep again. If things hadn't changed between her and Quinn before, she had a feeling they had now.


	2. Part 2

**Part 2**

Quinn was long gone when Rachel slid her sleep mask off her mussed hair in the morning, woken by the noises of rowdy boys and giggling girls. Her sleeping bag was zipped neatly and her tan jacket and hiking boots were gone. But Rachel didn't hear her voice among those outside the tent, and she couldn't help frowning to herself at the idea that Quinn had gone out alone again, without Rachel's company, and this time perhaps on purpose, after last night.

But perhaps not. Quinn was a loner, after all, who longed for approval from her peers - though not so much anymore - but didn't actually enjoy their company all that much, from what Rachel had gathered. She seemed to need long breaks after she had been around them all for too long, and six hours on a bus with everyone was certainly enough time to want to be alone for a while. Rachel decided she would accept that alternative and slid out of her sleeping bag to get around.

They were all having cereal out of styrofoam bowls with plastic spoons and bananas Mr. Schuester had brought along. He seemed to be serving out of his tent, so Rachel went over to collect her Cheerios with soy milk, a banana, and a glass of orange juice, and plopped herself down next to Kurt and Mercedes by the dead campfire. The boys were goofing around by the volleyball net, batting the ball back and forth with dramatic action - Noah dove into the dirt more than once to hit it back. Santana and Brittany had chosen their own log to sit on, laughing and feeding each other playfully.

Rachel wondered if Quinn had gotten any breakfast. For a moment, she thought of blowing her whistle toward the woods to see if she would get any answer and, if she did, catching up to Quinn with a banana in hand and sectioning off pieces to pop in Quinn's mouth and feeling soft pink lips graze her fingers as she bit into it and seeing hazel eyes sparkle as she playfully bit at and missed Rachel's thumb the way Santana was doing with Brittany right now.

Fingers snapped in her face again, and Rachel turned back to Kurt and Mercedes dutifully. Mr. Schuester collected all the trash in a garbage bag after they'd all taken to holding onto their bowls or setting them in the dirt, and by then the sun was rising up in the sky, high enough to illuminate the green leaves above them. Noah suggested immediately that they all go swimming, and Mr. Schuester elected to stay back to whistle in case they forgot the way, though he gave them the map.

The rest of them had evidently thought to bring their bathing suits, having assumed the best of the weather, unlike Rachel, and while they all ran off and changed, she thought to stay back with Mr. Schuester and keep him company. Just in case Quinn came back. But Kurt was having none of it and yanked her along anyway, despite her not having a suit to wear, and she stumbled along behind them, glancing back and down other trails they passed on the way down to the beach, where all of them immediately wished they'd brought water shoes, because it was all rock and zebra mussels and no sand. They all leapt in anyway, and Rachel perched herself on a rock to watch them bat the volleyball Mike had brought back and forth and splash each other amongst squeals and raucous laughter.

And she couldn't help but think that Quinn was missing out on the fun and no one had even thought to tell her and give her the option to join them. And then she had to admonish herself, because why did she think about Quinn so much? She realized now that that wasn't uncommon, even before last night. She was always doing it, thinking about her, considering her, analyzing her, following her around. She didn't even think about it, she just did it, whenever Quinn left the room or the camp or wherever, Rachel followed. Nowadays, Quinn didn't seem to mind, but other than that, it hadn't changed. Rachel had always done it, from the day Quinn stopped showing up to glee sophomore year to yesterday, when she'd tried to go after her but Kurt decided to hog her. Her persistence, she knew, had been part of what had worn Quinn down from turning on her like a cornered animal to smiling and continuing on her way as if she'd just been waiting for Rachel to join her.

Rachel didn't know if she really was waiting, of course. Maybe she was. Maybe she expected and welcomed Rachel's company now, every time she left.

She wondered if Quinn had brought a bathing suit. Perhaps she'd want to join in, if Rachel caught up to her and offered, perhaps she'd say, 'of course' and walk back down the trail with Rachel to change and come out in that red bikini she wore at the car wash, with her long legs and abs and cleavage, and then she'd hop in with the rest of them - only she'd have brought water shoes, because she was much smarter than everyone else - and playfully splash at Rachel's toes so she didn't feel left out and there would be trickles of water running down Quinn's long pale neck to the valley between her round, perky breasts.

Rachel gathered up her socks and boots, sliding them on and slipping away while the rest of them were occupied with a game of Marco Polo, made that much more difficult by the waves sloshing against the shoreline. It was pretty much a straight shot back to the campsite on the trail, so Rachel wasn't exactly sure why Mr. Schuester was worried about them losing their way, but then, there were a lot of things she didn't really understand about Mr. Schuester. He seemed to be attempting to chop firewood again, with more success this time, she noted, for as she came closer to the clearing, she heard a distinctive crack at regular intervals.

Only when she arrived at the clearing, it wasn't Mr. Schuester at all, but Quinn. Standing there with her tan jacket slung over a tree trunk and her blue plaid shirt's sleeves rolled up, heaving an axe down on a standing log and splitting it in half with seeming ease, though there was a line of sweat at her hairline, darkening the blonde locks there. Rachel had never considered lumberjacks very sexy, but at the moment, watching Quinn's concentration face while she wielded an axe with expertise and her arm muscles tensed with the motion, they were her number one turn-on.

"Quinn?"

The axe stopped midair, and Quinn lowered it in front of her. The concentration face smoothed out again, and she gave Rachel her favorite smile. Instantly, Rachel knew her alternative was right. Quinn wasn't running away from her, she'd simply needed time on her own. Flooded with relief, she came closer, looking up at bright, sparkling eyes.

"Good morning," Quinn answered softly, as if she was saying something very sweet, very tender, and so good morning became a very sweet and tender thing to say to Rachel.

She smiled. "You just get more butch every time I see you."

Quinn's pearly whites flashed in a chuckle, her gaze falling to the tree trunk. "I told you my family and I used to go camping all the time. And my father wasn't the type to want helpless daughters."

"What other hidden talents do you have then?" Rachel couldn't help herself, her flirtatious tone, the batting of her lashes. She was infected with last night and the way Quinn had stared at her, and she lowered her gaze to the buttons on Quinn's shirt, down to the very last one, and on impulse, twisted it in her fingers.

"Well." Quinn's voice had dropped an octave, falling to a hushed tone. "I can change oil and tires, check engines. Do some minor household repairs."

Rachel flicked her tongue out over her bottom lip, slipping the button out from its slot. She wondered if Quinn's abs were really in as bad a shape as she used to suggest after having Beth, or if they were as hardened as sophomore year. Maybe more so. And either way she wanted to run her fingers up a creamy stomach and bury her fingers in the warmth between Quinn's body and her shirt.

"Like what?" she found herself murmuring.

"Like plumbing, a little wiring."

Rachel could feel her hot breaths against her forehead and she was tempted to close her eyes, to bask in the feeling, but she couldn't take her gaze away from the buttons. She petted the one she had loosed under her thumb, wondering - would Quinn let this go any farther? Was she comfortable? Rachel was. She had never known she'd be comfortable like this, never guessed a woman would make her feel this way, but if any woman could, it was Quinn, and she was doing it. Rachel was nearly as aroused as last night, when Quinn was staring her down and all she could think of was how _their_ moans might sound together.

Mr. Schuester came whistling from his tent, and Rachel nearly cursed, backing up a step while Quinn turned the axe in her hand, watching him steadily. He was setting up for lunch, putting up a small table to hold ingredients for sandwiches, chips, and dip. Rachel sighed.

"Would you like to try?" Quinn said suddenly.

Rachel blinked, glancing rapidly from Mr. Schuester to Quinn to her hands and the axe. She laughed. "I don't think so, I might be dangerous with a weapon."

Quinn grinned, but shook her head. "I'll teach you, come on."

She held it out for Rachel, pleading with those irresistible hazel eyes, and she smiled through a sigh and took it by the end, farthest from the sharp part, which dropped almost instantly to the ground. It was heavier than Rachel expected.

"Whoa, hold on." Quinn slipped behind her, and Rachel was suddenly chewing on her lip, trying not to beam, because her arms looped underneath Rachel's and she took her hands, guiding them wider on the handle. "Keep them spread out, it gives you more control," she breathed against Rachel's ear. She could only nod. "I'll guide you through the first one."

Rachel nodded again, leaning comfortably back into Quinn's arms while she gripped her hands and lifted the axe up, and cracked it down. The sensation sent tingles up Rachel's arms and shot through her bones, and she couldn't help but jump. Quinn was smiling against her ear, she could feel it in her breaths.

"Not so bad, was it?"

Rachel smiled, shrugging her shoulders as she tilted her head back to look up at Quinn properly. "No...but I don't think I'm as strong as you."

Quinn's lips curled, looking more kissable by the moment. Quinn Fabray had to be an amazing kisser, she just had to be. "Why, have you been slacking on your elliptical workouts?"

Rachel shook her head with a grin, lowering the axe to let it drop harmlessly to the ground, and turned slightly to poke at Quinn's bicep. "No, but I'm no Woman of Steel like you."

Quinn looked genuinely puzzled now, lifting her arm into position. Rachel's mouth practically watered at the way it bulged. Who knew muscles could be so appealing? She wondered if Quinn could manage to hold her up and finger her standing, the way Finn had never liked to do and never could for very long. Or how long she could last without a break in bed, and Rachel absolutely had to see those abs now.

How had she missed how terribly attractive Quinn was? Well, she hadn't, truthfully, she knew Quinn was beautiful, the most beautiful woman she'd ever met. But how had she passed over this sex appeal in her mind? How had she let the possibilities and the fantasies flutter away with nary a thought before? Why had it taken staring at Quinn while Brittany and Santana had sex next to them to realize she wanted much, much more, to unlock her thoughts and flood her with ideas and imaginings?

"It's not that impressive," Quinn was saying, glancing over her bicep and then dropping her arm again.

Rachel just laughed at her, and Quinn promptly frowned.

"What? It's not."

"Right," she giggled, "it's the least impressive arm I've ever seen. Right next to Popeye and Superman and - "

Quinn growled, and before Rachel knew it, she was being hauled against her by her belt loop. She sucked in a sharp breath, while Quinn smirked, her most predatory smirk. Rachel had seen it many times before, but it had always been in anger, so it had never sparked the active arousal it was eliciting now, making Rachel want to squirm and squeeze her legs together.

But before Rachel or Quinn could speak, the sounds of everyone rushing back to camp for food - Noah even shouted 'FOOD' - had Quinn letting Rachel loose and the two of them reluctantly parting to a more appropriate distance. They were the last to retrieve sandwiches and chips and dip onto their own paper plates, and this time when Kurt tugged at Rachel, she grabbed Quinn's shirtsleeve and pulled her down with her. She wasn't interested in spending anymore time away from Quinn, and no one was getting in the way of that.

After they'd all finished gobbling up lunch and Mr. Schuester had collected trash again, everyone else headed back to the beach and Rachel waved a dismissive hand to Kurt's 'aren't you coming.' She instead hugged onto Quinn's arm as the blonde led the way back toward a trail, wood all chopped and neatly stacked for later use; the two said very little, though Rachel couldn't help petting over Quinn's bicep on occasion, eliciting a little smirk from Quinn each time. Rachel had never thought she'd learn to be comfortable with the quiet like this, but spending time with Quinn, especially over the summer, becoming closer with her had taught her to appreciate it, to some extent.

Quinn didn't always express herself with words, after all, and now that they were friends, Rachel actually kind of liked that. She liked looking up at that beautiful face in the filtered sunshine and seeing a contented expression. No smile, just a loose jaw and lips, bright, darting eyes taking in the world around her. She liked being able to know exactly what Quinn was feeling that way, without needing to ask or pry and send a flash of irritation through hazel eyes. Quinn was happy right now, and so Rachel was happy, too.

But she was still Rachel Berry, and she still had to say something, needed to, in fact, and so she eventually asked playfully, "Do you think they'll do that every night?"

Quinn laughed. "Probably. They have a very active sex life."

"I think it's nice that they're so crazy about each other. Except when it's happening right next to me." She giggled, nuzzling her cheek against Quinn's shoulder and the fabric of her shirt.

"Join the club," she teased.

Rachel beamed. "Maybe you should've brought two tents for two people."

"Maybe."

"Would you still have picked me?" She poked at Quinn's side.

Her smile picked up again. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Rachel shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I still underestimate how much you care."

Quinn stopped walking abruptly, and Rachel lifted her head with a start, biting on her bottom lip as she looked at Quinn's suddenly closed and unreadable face. She swallowed.

"I mean, I know you do. It's just that...for the longest time you never really expressed it and then suddenly, I don't know, it was like this flood of attention and kindness and sweetness and I just wasn't expecting it. I guess I'm still getting over the whiplash." She shrugged, peering hopefully at Quinn.

She just tilted her head. "We're friends, right?"

"Of course we are. I didn't mean to imply that we're not - "

"So why wouldn't I care?"

Rachel sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "I didn't mean to say that you don't, or that you shouldn't, Quinn. But for years you pushed me away, and then, in like a week's time, you were thanking me for stopping you from doing something stupid and then you were telling me first, out of everyone, about Yale and letting me hug you and advising me about my future and making sure we get to see each other beyond high school and… Quinn, I'm not questioning your motives or anything, I'm just saying...it's a surprise, but it's a good one. Just like…last night." She bit on her bottom lip, shifting closer again.

Quinn was eyeing her almost cautiously this time, as Rachel moved in and tugged at the bottom of her shirt. But she said nothing, only wore that flat expression.

"You have to tell me if it didn't mean what I think it's pretty obvious I thought it meant, Quinn," she urged quietly. "Do you like me, or am I just making a fool out of myself?"

Quinn stared at her steadily. "You're not making a fool out of yourself."

Rachel bit on her lip and twisted the ends of Quinn's shirt around her fingers. "Then why do you look so serious?"

"Because this is sudden, too."

"I know," she conceded. "I know that, but. I also know that...I really want you, Quinn."

Rachel couldn't resist moving herself closer, against Quinn, where she could breathe in her perfume and barely touch her lips against her neck, until Quinn steered her away with a hand on her cheek, staring at her in that intent way that made her feel naked again.

"And I really like you...but I always have," Rachel breathed.

Quinn's gaze flicked between her eyes for a few moments, and then she leaned closer, pressing her gentle lips to the corner of Rachel's mouth. She closed her eyes instantly and ran her fingers up the fabric of her shirt to grip onto the collar, holding her closer. Quinn felt like a whisper of silk - a mere tease that Rachel wanted so much more of, but Quinn drew back and stroked her face, looping her hair behind her ear, and then took her hand and started walking again.

Rachel scurried after her, wanting to say something, anything to encourage another of those kisses, even if it wasn't directly on her mouth, but Quinn's face was content again, and she wouldn't ruin that for the world. So she hugged onto Quinn's arm and walked along quietly with her again until it was dark and Quinn steered them back the other way to join the rest of them around the fire, now burning bright thanks to properly chopped wood. They had hot dogs and s'mores again, and Rachel sat leaning against Quinn's arm with Kurt on her other side.

She might've felt self-conscious about being so clingy, like she always had with Finn, but Quinn's face was so comfortable, so content, Rachel knew she wasn't bothering her. If anything, she was contributing to her current serene mood. Quinn even fed her a marshmallow when Rachel pouted and opened her mouth for it, then playfully pretended she'd gotten nicked by her teeth. Rachel just grinned up at her admiringly. She really was the most beautiful, wonderful person.

They sang some campfire songs again and Noah insisted on a few ghost stories, none of which were really that frightening, sad to say, and then they all went to their tents to change and slide into bed. It was the same as the previous night. While Santana and Brittany were changing, Finn started to come over to Rachel, and she just snuggled further against Quinn, this time spurring her to wrap her in one of her lovely hugs, and he went away. They all settled in after that, Quinn with her flashlight and book, and Rachel whispered a good night again, bringing a smile to Quinn's face, before she pulled down her sleep mask.

In the middle of the night, it happened again. Rachel was stirred awake by heat and this time by a foot kicking her in the leg, and the moans told her everything she needed to know. She tugged her sleep mask down, peering over at Quinn. She was wide awake again.

"Quinn?" she whispered.

Her head turned immediately, and Rachel smiled, pushing herself up and out of her sleeping bag with a little difficulty. She kicked it off her feet before she crawled over to Quinn, who had unzipped her own bag and shifted over onto her side, opening the flap for Rachel to slip in. Once she had her feet tucked down with Quinn's, resting on her side so that they would both fit and smiling up at Quinn, the blonde reached behind her and zipped it up, resting her arm over Rachel's side, fingers teasing at locks of her hair.

Rachel squirmed and wriggled until she was pressed tightly against Quinn, wrapping her own arm around her waist and running the tip of her nose up the line of her neck, pressing a few light but daring kisses on the way. Quinn's breaths went a smidge heavier and she gripped the fabric of Rachel's top with firm fingers. Her skin was so soft Rachel could hardly believe it, it was like kissing feathers. She couldn't seem to stop, either, until Quinn steered her back with a hand again and just looked at her with those eyes, breathing in and out, stroking her thumb over Rachel's cheek.

And then it lowered, and Rachel's breaths came quicker as Quinn's hand disappeared underneath the sleeping bag, finding the back of her bare thigh and pulling. Rachel lifted it up willingly and eagerly slung it over Quinn's hip where she set it, her smooth palm running up the back of her thigh and Rachel felt that fuzzy throbbing between her legs again, so strongly she couldn't keep herself from grinding against the point of Quinn's hip. Quinn's grip hardened and she rolled them slightly, leaning herself into Rachel's heating sex, and Rachel couldn't breathe, grabbing for Quinn's shoulders and neck to encourage her.

But then the moans beyond them stopped, and Quinn did, too, and Rachel almost growled despite understanding exactly why Quinn went back onto her side and just held Rachel instead, because if Santana and Brittany heard them, they wouldn't be so considerate as to just try to go back to sleep and ignore it. No, they'd have to make a ruckus about it and possibly wake everyone up just to laugh at how Quinn was screwing the midget. Still, it did nothing to ease Rachel's appetite for Quinn, and she resigned herself to an unhappy, restless night of sleep, in spite of the comfort Quinn's warm arms supplied.


	3. Part 3

**Part 3**

Quinn was gone again when Rachel woke. Well, almost gone. She was just unzipping the front flap of the tent when Rachel stirred, bothered by the cold, empty space next to her, and blinked her eyes over at Quinn's crouching form. She stretched her arms wide as she rolled onto her back and yawned out, "Quinn?"

She paused, turning on her heels to look back at Rachel - she could just see the faintest smile on her lips. "I'll be back, go back to sleep."

"Where are you going?" Rachel mumbled, flexing a hand out toward Quinn until she felt her taking it.

Quinn scooted herself closer again, squeezing Rachel's fingers between her own and kissing the back of her hand with those soft, whispering lips. She leaned down onto her elbow next to Rachel, laying along the tent floor and petting her messy hair from her face with her free hand. A lazy smile spread over Rachel's lips in response.

As difficult as it had been to get to sleep last night, unfulfilled, squirming, and aching, Rachel had eventually dropped into a deep doze filled with Quinn - her warmth, her smell, her skin - and to wake up to all that, plus Quinn's sweet smile and her husky, tender voice - it was pure heaven. She could almost fall right back to sleep, if not for the worry that Quinn would disappear all morning or all day again, and Rachel wouldn't find her until evening and spend her entire day commandeered by Kurt - or worse, Finn.

His stares and idle glances had gotten more and more longing over the past couple of days and she feared they would reach maximum capacity before she was ready for him to talk to her again. She needed Quinn as a shield, a shield Finn wouldn't cross. Why, Rachel wasn't sure, and it didn't matter. That was far from the only reason she needed Quinn, anyway.

"I went out early yesterday and I saw a couple deer on the trails," Quinn was murmuring to her. "I thought I'd see if they were there again."

Rachel brightened under Quinn's stroking thumb. "Deer? Can I come with you?"

"Of course."

Quinn's thumb pad slid just beneath Rachel's bottom lip and she smiled, pushing herself up onto her elbows - both to get up and to surprise Quinn with a peck on the lips. If the look on Quinn's face was any indication, she was definitely surprised, but most certainly not displeased. Her cheeks were ruddy, even in the dark, and she smiled Rachel's favorite smile as she sat up and scooted back to the tent opening to let Rachel change in private.

Once she had herself put together properly again and dressed in thick flannel clothes for the cold morning, Rachel slipped out and zipped the tent behind her and grabbed Quinn's hand, giggling as Quinn took off at a bit of a run toward the trails. The blonde shot a few grins back at her and only slowed when Rachel began to pant lightly, stepping along comfortably beside her instead, and Rachel leaned herself against her arm and shoulder once more. There was something about a grey morning searching for deer that made Rachel appreciate the quiet even more. The world was in a place between dark and light, sleep and wakefulness, and Rachel hated to disturb it. Even the birds seemed to respect the time of day as dawn crawled up the horizon, the nightbirds nesting down and the daybirds waking to the world, waiting for meals.

Quinn tugged Rachel rather suddenly behind a large tree, pulling her down to crouch in front of her. Rachel smiled as arms slipped around her waist and a chin settled on her shoulder before Quinn pointed for Rachel to follow her finger toward a few berry bushes, where two does stood wrapping their tongues around leaves and yanking them off to chew. They looked rather like cows - the way they ate, anyway, with circular grinding motions, creating a cud in their mouths. Every movement was so delicate, though, dainty legs shifting silently over the grass and twigs, their short little tails flicking back and forth.

Rachel wondered, for a moment, if they could get a closer look, but when she shifted her feet, one head and then the other popped up and they looked wildly around. She froze, and a few moments later, they relaxed into eating again. She was reminded of their prey instincts and of the tiger behind her, resting hands on her knees and petting circles with her thumbs, breathing hot breaths against her neck and otherwise remaining so still, Rachel could've forgotten she was there - except for the fact that she was Quinn Fabray and Rachel could never fully forget Quinn Fabray's presence.

In fact, now that she thought about it, Rachel had always been preternaturally aware of when Quinn was around. Perhaps she had developed it as a defense mechanism during freshman year, knowing that most of the time, Quinn would ignore her, but if she got in her way, she would have a sharp scolding snap coming her way. Like the prey instinct. Rachel being the deer, Quinn being the stalking tiger, just waiting for her to slip up. Only now it wasn't really fear of the tiger, it was fascination, admiration, respect, affection.

Rachel was very fond of Quinn, and she didn't think that was any secret to anyone. Despite years of Quinn push, push, pushing away, Rachel had just stood there, the immovable object, until Quinn embraced her instead. And then Rachel was happy. Happy to have Quinn's attention and hugs, and so now it wasn't even a bit of a stretch to her to realize that Quinn could offer her more and that she would very, very much like that.

The deer moved on quietly, so quietly that if Rachel hadn't been looking directly at them, she would've wondered where they'd gone to, and she let out a breath she didn't know she'd even been holding.

"They were beautiful," she breathed, taking Quinn's hands in her own. "Thank you for bringing me along."

Quinn's lips brushed against the lobe of Rachel's ear, leaving her to gasp and shudder as she murmured, "You're welcome. I think we can still get some more sleep; do you want to go back?"

Rachel closed her eyes, brushing her tongue out over her bottom lip. "Not really. But I guess. If only so you don't skip breakfast today."

Quinn smiled in her ear, snuffing, and Rachel's arms were coated with goose bumps despite the layers of her coat and shirt. "I didn't skip completely; I had a granola bar yesterday."

"It's not the same thing," she persisted. "You need more nutrition than just an energy bar."

"Yes, ma'am." Quinn squeezed her hands, brushing thumbs against thumbs lazily, and though her voice was light when she continued, Rachel could feel the teasing note dropping away. "Is this what it's going to be like when this camping trip is over, too?"

Rachel bit her lip, tilting her head back onto Quinn's shoulder. "You mean am I going to fuss over your health and happiness until you do as I say? Yes, absolutely, it's going to continue, Quinn Fabray, for as long as you don't take proper care of yourself." She smiled impishly.

Quinn's eyes sparked back to life. "Which will be always, according to you."

"Obviously." She widened her smile into a grin and decided to surprise Quinn again with another quick peck.

It wasn't enough - not nearly enough - to get an impression of how good a kisser Quinn was, though Rachel was certain she was fantastic because, well, she was Quinn Fabray. But it was enough to get the sensation of Quinn's lips, to feel how soft and firm they were. They weren't like a boy's lips. Boys' lips were thinner, usually - with the notable exception of Sam, poor Sam and his froggy lips - and there tended to be a feeling of fuzz or bristles around their mouth, especially when they hadn't shaved recently.

Quinn's lips had none of that scratchy feeling, and they weren't thin or dry. They were moist, full, soft. Tender. And they felt even more so when Quinn kissed Rachel again, lingeringly this time, her breaths hitting Rachel's nose and lips hotly and her mouth brushing over Rachel's like cotton sheets sliding over naked skin. Rachel barely contained a moan - Quinn was amazing. Rachel's nipples were suddenly straining against her bra and it only got worse when Quinn opened her mouth, tongue slipping in the barest graze over Rachel's upper lip before she entirely pulled away.

Rachel swallowed thickly, staring at fond hazel eyes and leaning into the touch of gentle fingers along her jawline, and blushed when she heard herself whisper, "Do you have any idea how much you turn me on?"

Quinn's eyes brightened ever so slightly and she teased Rachel's lips with her thumb. "Turnabout is fair play."

And then she stood, pulling Rachel to her feet, and no matter how many times Rachel asked what that was supposed to mean on the way back to the tent, Quinn just smirked at her. Rachel decided to pout at her for the rest of the morning - she wasn't sure she could maintain her anger past then - and curled up in her own sleeping bag this time after she kicked off her shoes. Quinn laughed, louder when Rachel turned over to face Brittany and Santana instead, though when she did contain herself, it was only to tease Rachel some more. She kept flickering the tip of her finger against the back of Rachel's neck, making her shiver and squirm and smile, despite her best efforts not to, until Santana grumbled, "Would you two shut up? You're like preschoolers."

Rachel bit on her bottom lip and whispered, "Sorry," and Quinn immediately added, "Not sorry."

Santana just mumbled and her head disappeared beneath the sleeping bag again until Mr. Schuester called everyone out for breakfast. Rachel and Quinn made it out first, of course, already dressed and only needing to grab shoes and boots, respectively. It was the same breakfast as yesterday - a bowl of cereal and a banana - but Rachel was much more satisfied seeing Quinn eat that up than knowing she was out on the trails, alone, practically starving herself.

After they all finished breakfast and Mr. Schuester collected trash again, it was decided it was too chilly for the beach again and so all the athletes wound up with the volleyball net - Quinn, Santana, and Brittany on one team and Finn, Noah, and Mike on the other - while the rest of them either sang along to the radio or worked on their horseshoes game. Rachel had to be snapped back to attention multiple times by Kurt, of course, because Quinn jumping and bouncing and snapping the ball over the net and frustrating the hell out of all the boys who were trying so hard to score a point happened to be quite distracting.

The smug confidence in response to the boys, the sheer competitiveness - that was sexy enough on its own. But Quinn took off her coat and her plaid shirt and she was in just a tank top, and her breasts jostled when she made a jump or a slap against the ball and who knew breasts were so damn attractive? Lesbians, of course, and men, but Rachel had never known the joys of staring at them before now. She had a feeling she'd be doing it quite a bit more often now, too, particularly Quinn's. And of course, there were the muscles bulging and tensing, and the sweat. And sweat was nasty, gross, smelly, disgusting, but on Quinn...the wetness, the moisture collecting, the effort - Rachel couldn't help but imagine a shower after Quinn had spent the night screwing her brains out to the point of that sweaty but not dripping place she was at now.

So Rachel was particularly relieved when Mr. Schuester set out leftover lunch supplies from yesterday and everyone sat to gobble up, particularly the six who'd been exerting the most energy. Quinn plopped down next to her and the heaving, calming breaths, the buzz of energy still flowing out from her burst of activity, had Rachel gnawing on her lip more than once. They sat around for about an hour after they'd all finished stuffing themselves, while the athletes recovered and digested. Mr. Schuester hadn't packed enough food for the entire trip since most of it was fresh and would spoil quickly - which he mentioned while all of them were in a food coma - and would be driving in to the nearest town to pick up more the next day, and whoever had specific requests should come along. Though the car his friend was leaving them only carried six people including the driver.

But for now, they could relax and though Mercedes and Kurt were eager enough to keep doing just that, the boys got everyone into a wild game of, of all things, tag. Santana started as 'it' and no one in their right mind would see her charging at them and _not_ run, so before they all knew it, they were fleeing across the campground and through the trails, screaming their heads off every time the 'it' person caught them, and it all got so jumbled and confusing after a while as the 'it' traded off several times in a row that multiple people were 'it' somehow and Rachel wound up running as fast as she could with Quinn close behind her - and the only reason Quinn hadn't caught her yet was that she was laughing too hard.

Eventually, however, Quinn caught her breath and, in the same moment, caught Rachel and they went spinning as Rachel lost her balance and they tumbled to the ground. Quinn broke Rachel's fall with a rather unceremonious 'oomf' and a slightly pained laugh. Once Rachel recovered from her own laughter against Quinn's chest, she lifted herself up enough to tuck Quinn's hair from her face and to see if her face was truly pained or if it was only a momentary startle. Her eyes sparkled at Rachel, and she smiled back, but still breathed, "Are you okay?"

Quinn nodded, readjusting her back with an arch or two that took Rachel's breath again. "I'll live," she chuckled out.

Rachel bit her bottom lip and stroked her fingers along Quinn's cheekbone for a moment. "Good."

Quinn just smiled at her, Rachel's favorite smile. Her hazel eyes were so hypnotizing. It was like looking into one of those spinning black and white spirals, turning her head fuzzy and her own eyes blurry save for that one focal point - in this case, Quinn's eyes. She could whisper any words and get an agreement, so long as she had someone's eyes locked with hers. Again, Rachel was reminded of a cat, the way they stared you in the eye with their own colorful gaze and held perfectly still, letting you admire their green or yellow or amber eyes for a moment before they pounced.

Rachel leaned in for another kiss like the one they'd shared that morning, and this time, Quinn didn't pull away. She tilted her head up to meet Rachel's mouth and then they melded there for a few contented moments, until Quinn's fingers started to caress circles over the small of Rachel's back and her lips parted - only slightly, but enough. Enough for Rachel to slip her tongue and taste Quinn, but while Quinn allowed her a few moments to do just that, suddenly Rachel's tongue was being sucked on and it was the most surprisingly erotic thing she'd ever felt. She couldn't possibly have held back her moan if she had tried, and she felt Quinn's smile against her mouth at the sound, and Rachel's nipples strained against her bra again.

Her lungs begged for a proper breath after several moments of the two of them devouring at each other's mouths, the sounds of birds tweeting above growing faint between their rabid kisses and moans, so Rachel reluctantly tore away. But Quinn had never looked more beautiful - a bold statement, but true - lying there beneath Rachel with her blonde hair splayed out over green grass, making the green and gold in her eyes pop even more, and her lips red with swelling, her chest rising and falling swiftly. Then her tongue swooped over her bottom lip, and Rachel couldn't resist leaning in to nip it and press sharp kisses down the faint dimple in Quinn's chin and over that long, elegant neck.

Quinn's fingers burrowed into Rachel's hair, drawing it back from her face and giving her room to work with, and at the same time bowed her head back, extending her neck even more and the tendons and hollows that appeared for Rachel to nibble and dip her tongue into sent a throb to her core. She treated it like her playground, never having kissed or teased a neck so pale, so gorgeous, so slim and long, and Quinn breathed rougher with every suck and bite, fingers flexing into Rachel's hair so her nails scraped gently on her scalp.

Her chest was veritably heaving now and Rachel wanted to see those contained breasts, wanted to find out if Quinn's nipples were pink and pert the way she imagined, but while she was still occupied with her neck, she finagled her fingers under the tank top and _God_. Quinn's abs were spectacular still, perhaps even more so than the last time Rachel had gotten a peek at them. They twitched and bulged beneath her teasing fingertips - and Quinn's breath practically bounced with them - and Rachel liked the feeling so much she brushed the pads back down to send them rippling again, and again, until Quinn whined. Rachel shushed her softly, placating her with kisses to her collarbone and her chest while she dug upward with her fingers and dipped under Quinn's bra to fully palm her breast.

Quinn's nipple jutted firmly into Rachel's palm, and every time she grazed it one way or the other, Quinn would let out a hiss of approval and arousal. So she collected her fingers together, caressing up the softest skin she'd ever felt to squeeze and pinch it the way she would her own, giving a mild tug for an extra kick of pleasure, because she wanted Quinn to enjoy this as much as she was. Her body, her skin, her breaths - they were so addicting, Rachel wanted to always be touching her, to be exploring the pearly areola with the pad of her thumb, teasing, and then to pinch while she was leaving a hickey on Quinn's collarbone.

It was only after several short, high-pitched whines in a row from Quinn that Rachel realized she was lingering and teasing too long, so she showed mercy and retracted her mouth and hands to push the plaid shirt off of Quinn's shoulders. Quinn sat up to wriggle out of it, cupping Rachel's face for another hot, involved kiss, and Rachel felt her coat being pushed away and then her top pulled up. She lifted her arms and instantly went for Quinn's tank top in turn, and when they broke apart fully, she took one look down at Quinn's abs and nudged her back to the ground, pressing her lips against the muscles and nibbling, kissing each twitch and pale bulge. Quinn stroked her hair, her breathing coming in long, heavy drags and Rachel twisted the button of Quinn's jeans undone while she teased her tongue at her navel.

Quinn made a noise - something between a laugh and a groan, so Rachel grinned and did it again, and Quinn wriggled underneath her while Rachel unzipped her jeans and pulled at them. Quinn lifted her hips cooperatively, and Rachel spread kisses over her lower abdomen, just over the hem of her white panties, drawing jeans away from long, pale legs. And then she had to kiss those, too, and Quinn dropped her head back with a laugh at her voracious, determined kissing up her calves and thighs, but she was still heaving for air and dragged Rachel back up by her bra strap, wanting another kiss it seemed. Rachel was happy to oblige, though she couldn't resist brushing a finger on her thigh.

She felt her back hit the damp earth as Quinn rolled her over, a tree root digging into the small of her back, but she didn't care for anything but how it felt to have Quinn kissing her into oblivion, sliding off her bra and her long johns, kneading her breast with an ease that made Rachel wonder - if only for a moment - if she was Quinn's first woman after all. Quinn's fingers hooking and pulling at her panties and her tongue rolling on the roof of her mouth like an exaggerated Irish 'r' sent the thought completely out of her head. She mimicked her, drawing away Quinn's panties as well and then getting that pesky bra out of the way to see Quinn's sweetly perked pink nipples.

Rachel could hardly draw breath, but she cupped a breast and lovingly kissed one nipple, then the other, and on returning to the first, brushed her lips and then her tongue over it. Quinn folded fingers through her hair, pulling it aside as she held Rachel to her chest and then to her mouth, sliding down next to Rachel onto her side on the soft bed of grass. It caught up to Rachel when they looked at each other, just what was happening, that is. Quinn Fabray was naked in front of her and she was naked in front of Quinn Fabray and it felt perfect and right and Rachel could hardly wait for Quinn to be inside her and to be inside Quinn.

Quinn walked her fingers down Rachel's soft belly and Rachel couldn't help but smile, mimicking her, walking down Quinn's hip. She shifted on the grass, lifting her leg up to open herself when Quinn's hand started to smooth low, until she was finally cupping Rachel and it felt like heaven, to have her sex covered by a warm hand, her folds invaded with fingers that rubbed and collected her wetness, that played with her clit once found - not just a condom wrapped thing entering her, paying no mind to the outside - this was _attention_. And Quinn was thorough, and it took a while for Rachel to get her eyes to roll forward again and to return the favor.

Quinn quivered in response, opening her legs just enough for Rachel to slip down to her hot, tight folds. Even the slit felt tighter than Rachel's, though she supposed it really shouldn't have been that surprising, but she delved one finger between and watched as Quinn's eyelashes fluttered and she struggled to contain herself, her groan that wanted to break loose. Her nostrils flared and her whole pale face and neck had gone attractively pink, and Rachel thought it very easy to be falling in love with Quinn Fabray.

Once they both had a handle on themselves, they managed to squirm closer and to explore each other without so much distraction, though Rachel still wanted to roll Quinn on top of her and let her go to town - especially now, with Quinn's long fingers extending to dip at her entrance and then retracting, rubbing the heel of her hand against Rachel's clit. But she wanted to keep pleasuring Quinn, too, so she kept herself under control, focusing on the gushes of arousal she felt each time Quinn opened her mouth and let out a barely audible moan and on the wetness gathering on her fingers while she, in turn, flicked her clit back and forth with the pad of her thumb.

But Rachel still wasn't nearly as patient as Quinn, and before long, she was dipping her finger cautiously into Quinn's entrance, waiting until she caught her eyes and received a nod to slip in deep. She gasped with amazement - the heat, the wetness, it all multiplied the moment she pushed in, and the grasp Quinn immediately had on her finger. She was so tight, clenching, adjusting to an unusual, foreign invasion. Even Quinn's eyes clenched shut as she held in her breath, and Rachel hurried to kiss her eyelids, her face, frowning in concern until Quinn opened up those beautiful hazel gems and smiled.

"I'm okay. Just not used to it," she murmured, and Rachel reluctantly nodded.

Before she could think twice about it, Quinn delved her finger in and she almost came right then and there, and while they started to explore each other's hot caverns, they quickly turned to more determined activities. Thrusting slow at first, dipping in and out experimentally - Rachel matched Quinn's pace, allowing her to lead - after all, she wasn't used to it, as she said - though it was hellish, the teasing, the dragging friction.

Quinn was eventually merciful and adjusted next to her, pushing in with more leverage and gaining rhythm and Rachel's wrist ached but she matched her again even though her eyes were rolling back in her head and she was pretty sure if she got any hotter she was going to quite literally catch on fire. Quinn felt like heaven, inside and out, and Rachel could've done this forever, roll back and forth in the woods with Quinn, kissing and moaning and filling each other endlessly, but the buildup of the past couple of days and right now, the letdown of last night, led Rachel to release earlier than she even expected and there were explosions behind her eyes and electric bursts all over her skin, leaving her hair on end and her muscles twitching as she called Quinn's name, and her only regret was that she was so occupied in her own bliss that she missed Quinn's own release entirely.


	4. Part 4

**Part 4**

Quinn's chest was soft against Rachel's cheek. She could faintly hear her heart thumping away, slowing gradually from the explosion of feeling and pleasure. Her head raised up and down with Quinn's breaths, too, and it was all a steady rhythm matched by the gently petting hand in her hair. Rachel couldn't help but smile about it all, resting there against Quinn's lithe body. It was so peaceful, after so much activity, lying there together, listening to the birds singing above them, the chatter of little woodland animals.

Rachel felt just fantastic. "That was amazing," she heard herself groan.

She could practically hear the smile in Quinn's voice when she merely hummed, "Mmmmm-hm."

She grinned to herself. "Do you think it was too fast? I mean, not _it_, but...too soon?"

Again, Quinn hummed, "Mmmmm-hm."

Rachel picked her head up to be sure Quinn hadn't just fallen asleep on her, and she was met with that adorably mischievous smirk and lazy hazel eyes. Sparkling at her. She couldn't resist kissing those lips, and when she parted from them, Quinn heaved a contented sigh and stretched her arms up over her head, and she looked so remarkably relaxed among the green grass, underneath her, Rachel could hardly believe her eyes. She wanted to kiss her again, but before she could make contact, Quinn spoke up.

"It was definitely too soon. We're idiots," she groaned, although she didn't sound displeased about this at all.

Rachel tried not to smile. "I'm sorry, I just…"

"No, mm. Don't be sorry." Quinn's fingers stroked over her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear. "It was stupid. But it was good." Her teeth flashed briefly.

Rachel couldn't keep from her lips, it seemed, and murmured once they parted again, "It was. Why haven't we done this before, again?" She giggled.

Quinn smiled. "Do you really want to open up that door, or can we just be happy that we did it?"

"Right, you're right." She laughed and kissed her again, petting her pretty blonde hair in turn and smirking when she tugged out a leaf, twirling the stem in her fingers as she showed it to Quinn. "We're dirty."

Quinn's chest rose with a laugh. "Mmmmm-hm. That's what happens when you have hot, naked sex on the ground."

"We really were not thinking this through," Rachel deadpanned, tossing the leaf aside for another kiss.

Quinn cupped her face warmly. "Mm, luckily there's the lake nearby. We can take a dip, clean up before we go back."

She felt a pout tugging her lower lip loose. "I don't want to go back."

That sexy eyebrow went crooked. "Oh, you don't?" Rachel shook her head between her hands. "You just want to stay naked out here for the rest of the trip?" She giggled, nodding into Quinn's palms. "Have hot forest sex for the next three days?" She nodded again, grinning. Quinn feigned a sigh. "Okay. If that's really what you want to do."

Rachel dropped to cuddle into her again, grinning. "Okay."

Quinn shook with another laugh, pushing up from the ground and lifting Rachel with her. "Come on, you."

Rachel managed to wobble to her feet beside Quinn, although she nearly fell over several times while bending to gather her clothes up and sliding her shoes on her heels, mimicking Quinn as she popped on her boots. She clung to Quinn's arm on their way back to a trail to sneak off toward the sound of waves crashing on the beach, and with each look exchanged, they couldn't help but giggle and run a little faster with the anticipation of being caught running naked through the woods.

It was all very wild and exciting. At least to Rachel. Rolling around in the dirt together, too hot for each other to stop and think, and then darting through the forest in broad daylight - well, by now it was coming toward evening - stark naked together. She felt kind of like a little rebel or something, loping next to Quinn until they arrived at the rocky beach and kicked their shoes off together, dropping clothes on a visible, but dry rock before they held hands and ran in - screeching at the coldness of the water.

But they still swam out far, far enough so that their toes weren't touching sharp rocks and they could tread easily, and they ducked under both at once, yelping again when they came up and laughing, and Rachel had never seen Quinn so relaxed and happy in her life. It had been a gradual thing seeing Quinn happy at all this past year, and Rachel didn't think it got much better than that. Than still reserved, calm, but contented Quinn, who smiled at her without reservation. It did. There was a laughing, free Quinn underneath, who touched Rachel and scrubbed patches of dirt off her shoulders and kissed her neck, who wasn't afraid to play and splash her.

Rachel figured it was the kitten in her coming out, though, because when the sun was beginning to drop and they dragged themselves onto the shore, onto a long wide rock to sunbathe in order to dry off, lying next to each other - Quinn still looked like a proud, magnificent cat, basking in the glow of the warm sun. Smiling to herself. Rachel couldn't resist kissing her. Not only her lips, but her neck, her shoulders, her long naked back, and when she flipped over, the length of her toned stomach. She was too beautiful to keep from kissing.

And Quinn returned every kiss to her lips and even every kiss to her body, with little tokens of affection. Stroking long fingers in Rachel's hair or petting her skin in lazy patterns, or just pressing little kisses to Rachel's hair and around her ears.

It was like a dream. Like something out of a movie, this whole afternoon. Rachel didn't want it to end, not ever. But when they were dry and the sun was dropping too low to do them any good anyway, Quinn picked herself and then Rachel up and they dressed - clothes almost felt strange now - and started a slow walk back to the campgrounds, where whistles were being blown and their names were being called out. Mr. Schuester was particularly furious until Rachel offered him big sad eyes and Quinn tucked her under an arm and said they'd been lost, and then he deflated and sighed and offered them some dinner before they all got to singing songs again.

Rachel leaned against Quinn's arm throughout their meal and the rest of the evening, and when they all went off to bed, she made sure to make a fuss over how cold it was before slipping over into a very amused Quinn's sleeping bag instead. She snuggled up into the blonde's side, closing her eyes to the light of her flashlight while Quinn went deeper and deeper into her thick book, but Rachel didn't sleep. She listened, not only to the sound of Quinn's heart thump-thumping under her ear again, but for the sounds of shifting and wriggling and moaning from the other sleeping bag, so that she could kiss and squirm and moan with Quinn.

She wasn't entirely sure what had gotten into her, except perhaps that her need to always follow Quinn had translated into always having to be touching her. And it didn't help that Quinn was so horribly sweet and attractive. She kept her strong arm looped around Rachel's shoulders and rubbed the knots out, and every now and then, checked her forehead to see that she was warm enough. And in between, her sharp hazel eyes darted over the pages and her brow furrowed with concentration, lips pursed in a way that made them irresistible, although they were always irresistible now that Rachel had gotten a taste of them. Rachel wanted it to always be like this now. Except without the other two in the tent.

Eventually, Quinn reached above them to put her book and flashlight away before she snuggled back down in with Rachel and they smiled at each other in the dark, noses nudging and hands stroking hair. The moment the other sleeping bag started shuffling, Rachel beamed and leaned for a kiss, met halfway by Quinn's warm lips. It went more quickly than it had in the afternoon, rushed by the fear that Santana and Brittany would beat them to a finish and then they'd be caught or left wanting, and so Quinn was on top of her, wriggling fingers into her pajama pants and rocking her knee into Rachel's core within moments of greeting each other with tongues.

The swiftness didn't seem to matter, though. Rachel was wet soon after tasting Quinn's lips and finding her breasts underneath the t-shirt she wore, kneading them eagerly. Quinn refused to free Rachel's mouth from hers, muffling her noises with their lengthy, thorough kiss as she slid two fingers within her and Rachel bucked and looped her legs about Quinn's hips, grinning in content at the feeling of utter completeness. Her chest heaved until Brittany cried out and Quinn pulled off her mouth all at once, leaving Rachel free to cautiously moan beneath Santana and Brittany's noises next to them, and leaving Quinn free to suckle on her neck.

It had never seemed to Rachel like lesbian sex could be very fulfilling if one wanted something rough and hard, but Quinn was swiftly proving her wrong tonight, using her thigh as leverage to drive into Rachel over and over. And all Rachel could do after a certain point was lie back and take it, wrapping her arms and legs around Quinn and rolling her head back in delight, because Quinn's fingers delving into her depths, swiping her insides, and giving her such harsh, fast friction she could've crawled out of her skin was just too much to stand. A mere brush of Quinn's thumb over Rachel's clit sent her reeling and she clutched Quinn closer, biting onto her shoulder to keep from crying out too loudly and breathing in the sweet, salty scent of her sweat.

Quinn kissed her face all over when Rachel went limp and dropped back. Rachel couldn't do anything but smile and return each kiss on her lips, though she gathered enough energy to stroke her hands over Quinn's back, beneath her shirt, when she started to move off of her, willing her to cuddle up close instead. It didn't take long for Quinn to obey, and Rachel curled her fingers up in Quinn's shirt and her hair and breathed in her golden locks until she fell asleep under her warm weight.

By morning, they were squeezed in tight next to each other, and Mr. Schuester was whistling for breakfast. Rachel could think of nothing better than to go on a camping trip alone with Quinn after this. No one around, no whistles, no tentmates. They could lie out on a beach - a sandy one, this time, no harsh rocks - and Quinn could stretch out next to her with her golden skin and golden hair and golden eyes, an Egyptian goddess - only Egyptian for the cats, of course - and Rachel could kiss her all over and they could rest together as late or as early as they wanted to between exploring each other's bodies. That - would be heaven.

But reality rose its ugly head and Rachel wriggled into her own sleeping bag to change, watching while Quinn struggled to do the same next to her, and grunting as Santana stepped right on her stomach and then kneed her in the shin on her way out. Quinn at least offered her a smile or two as they went out to catch breakfast with the rest of them, but then all Rachel could do was lean against Quinn's arm as they sat on their chosen log again. No kisses, no other touches, no feeding Quinn a grape.

Especially not with Finn staring at them. It took a long while for Rachel to notice it, but as Mr. Schuester was gathering up trash and asking who wanted to go back to town with him to get more food for the next couple of days, her eyes found Finn's. And he didn't look away. Not even when she did. He stared steadily between her and Quinn, and unconsciously, Rachel found herself straightening up. Her stomach twisted unpleasantly - almost..._guiltily_.

But there was nothing to feel guilty over. Finn had left _her_. He had no right to be jealous, or even suspicious, because he'd left. Rachel was free to sleep with Quinn and kiss her and hug her and giggle with her and enjoy her all she wanted, because Finn left. So what if there had been no official ending? He'd made it that way, by sneaking off like a coward. Unlike Quinn. Quinn who only left when she felt like it and not out of fear or avoidance. Perhaps it was unfair to compare, but Quinn made it so very difficult not to with her utter perfection.

Not that Finn didn't have good qualities. Of course he did. He was Finn, the love of Rachel's life. Well, the once love of her life. She wasn't so certain anymore. But she had loved him, loved him for his sweetness, even if it was only occasional. Loved him for his kindness and his capability as a strong leader, even if he didn't always use that skill or trust it. Loved him for his uncertainty, because there was something nice about how he needed her. Needed her confidence to bolster him up.

Quinn didn't need her in any capacity.

It was this thought that was running through Rachel's head when she realized it was just her, Quinn, and Finn sitting around the ashes of the campfire now. Everyone else had gone along with Mr. Schuester, and they were alone, the three of them. And it was...awkward was a word. Finn was still staring with his pouting lips and furrowed brow. Rachel spied Quinn attempting a smile at him, but it abruptly fell flat. She wondered briefly if Quinn felt guilty, too, but waved the thought away.

Quinn was certain about them. If she wasn't, she wouldn't have let it happen, because Quinn was always deliberate about what she did. Except when she was drunk, of course, but who was ever deliberate then? And Rachel loved that about Quinn. Quinn was certain and confident and strong. She had suffered through so much and she came out humbler, but still so steady. Maybe even steadier. And she was a good leader, too, though she wasn't afraid to follow, either. And she was so sweet and so good, Rachel melted with each smile.

They both had their qualities. Good ones. But Quinn had transitioned into a grown woman over the past three years and Finn was still getting to be a man. Finn still needed Rachel. Quinn didn't and never really had. Even in her darkest days, Quinn pulled through on her own. She didn't lean on anyone. Well, except Mercedes, but if Mercedes hadn't offered for Quinn to move in with her, would things have been any different? Rachel doubted it. Quinn might've been a little more grouchy throughout the rest of her pregnancy.

But if Finn hadn't had Rachel and the rest of the club there to pressure him, to remind him, to beat him over the head with the fact that popularity was not worth it in comparison to a good friend, he'd have folded and gone back to being the whipped boyfriend of the head cheerleader and captain of the football team in a snap. Rachel shouldn't have found that appealing, but she did. Everyone liked to be needed, though. Right?

Except maybe Quinn. Because Quinn didn't need anyone or anything, and that included needing to be needed. Once again, Rachel found her mind wandering back to a cat. Flicking its tail as it walked away, head held high, prowling to find a perch away from noise and people and simply smirking as you tried to reach to pet it.

A hand touched hers and Rachel jumped, pulling away - only to realize it had been Quinn's gentle hand. And she had just pulled away in front of Finn.

Quinn didn't say anything, though. Didn't even seem to react except to brush her palm over her jeans, as though that's what she'd intended to do all along, and then after a beat, cleared her throat and said, "Well, this has been sufficiently awkward."

And then she stood and marched off. Rachel looked from her retreating form to Finn and back again. He smiled, and she stood.

"I'm going to take a walk, too, I think," she blurted out, and as soon as she had reached the treeline, she bolted after Quinn. "Quinn, wait up!"

Quinn's shape stopped, her hands going into her jacket pockets while she waited, and Rachel smiled in relief, panting as she caught Quinn's arm.

"I'm sorry about that - you startled me, I was so deep in thought." She smiled hopefully, rubbing Quinn's sleeve to warm her own hand up a little.

Quinn shrugged her shoulders, shaking her golden mane a bit. "It's okay."

And she turned and kept walking. Rachel hugged onto her arm tightly and followed, trying to catch a glimpse of that face. Her stomach was twisting rather violently now, in the silence of their steps, in the silence of Quinn.

"Are you sure? I really didn't - "

"Yes, I'm sure."

Rachel stopped, tugging at Quinn's arm until she did, too. "Are you angry?"

Quinn shook her head, a brief, tight smile gracing her lips. "Of course not."

She hesitated. "What are you then?"

"I'm nothing." She shrugged.

"Then why did you walk away?"

"Because I was tired of sitting there."

Rachel sighed, frowning at that impenetrable face. "Right. So it had absolutely nothing to do with me pulling my hand away."

Quinn nodded. "That's right."

"And you're not angry with me." She stepped closer, trying to peek past those defenses, up into those hazel eyes.

She shook her head again. "No."

Rachel's brow furrowed. Quinn's mouth was too tight. "Then kiss me."

Quinn stared at her for a moment. "No."

Rachel scowled. "I knew you were angry."

"Just because I won't kiss you doesn't mean I'm angry."

"Then what does it mean, Quinn?"

Quinn looked at her steadily. "It means yesterday was a mistake."

Rachel lost her breath, feeling like she'd just been suckerpunched in the gut. Her voice was annoyingly vulnerable when she said, "No, don't say that."

Her head tilted. "It's true."

"No, it's not. It wasn't. Not for me."

"Only for you," Quinn corrected, stepping back as Rachel went forward, trying to grasp onto her shirt again, to get back where they were even two days ago.

"What?"

"You still love Finn. Right?" Her eyebrows popped up.

Rachel's jaw flapped. "Well, we didn't break up that long ago and I was with him for a long time, but that doesn't mean this was a mistake for me, Quinn. I like you. I want you."

Quinn simply shook her head. "You should be with the person you love."

She blinked at her. "Okay, so you're saying that liking you isn't enough, that I have to love you to be with you, because - "

"I'm saying if you just liked me and didn't love Finn, things would be different, but your relationship with Finn isn't over."

"How do you know that? It could be - "

"Because you don't know that," Quinn answered easily, and Rachel could only stare. "Look, I'm not angry with you. Or even him. You two have a long history and you've loved each other a long time and I - "

"You're one of the most important people in my life. You mean more to me than…" Rachel faltered, biting on her bottom lip.

Quinn smiled a little. "I am just a moment in the woods."

Rachel's jaw dropped for what felt like the fiftieth time. "Don't say that, that's not what you are to me."

"Our friendship isn't. This was. It's okay, Rachel. Environments change and crazy things happen and you get caught up. But then on Saturday, we go back. You go back to New York and you forget what it felt like to be out here alone in the excitement of something different. And you and Finn remember each other and work things out."

Rachel swallowed. Quinn's face was so calm, her voice so even. As if she wasn't even talking about something that concerned her. Rachel folded her arms reflexively, snuffing once. She wanted to refute everything Quinn was saying, to argue against it, but truthfully, she didn't know what would happen when they were back in the real world. She didn't even want to be back in the real world. She wanted to be here in heaven with Quinn.

She pursed her lips. "So what about you, hm?"

Quinn smiled at her. "I'll be your friend."

Rachel wanted to push for more, to badger her until she came out with what she really wanted, be it Finn or herself or just to be left alone - but then Finn called after them, "Hey, guys, wait up!" and Quinn turned and kept walking.


	5. Part 5

**Part 5**

After what was likely the most awkward walk in any of their lives, with Quinn walking at least fifteen to twenty paces ahead at all times, Rachel trying to keep up with her, and Finn casually strolling alongside _her_, they all wound up back at the campground where, thankfully, the troops had returned with arms full of groceries. Quinn was already settling next to Santana and Brittany by the time Rachel and Finn caught up, munching down on carrots with the two of them, and while Rachel made an attempt at an approach, a glare and raised eyebrow from Santana convinced her pretty quickly that it wasn't quite worth the heckling.

Not at the moment anyway, when Rachel was still trying to process what had just happened with Quinn. Had they just gone through an entire relationship in the space of a few days? It certainly felt like it. Flirting, kissing, sex, fallout, breakup. What had seemed like the beginning of something wonderful had fallen apart spectacularly, with just one gesture - or lack thereof, from Rachel.

She shouldn't have been surprised, of course. Quinn was a delicate creature who required delicate handling, and even the tiniest gesture could cause a fissure that could seem irreparable. Because, as Rachel knew, actions were of the utmost importance to Quinn. It was why she was so altruistically generous, because she didn't say nice things to people, she did nice things for them.

Rachel didn't know what, exactly, to take away from that when Quinn had just said so much and seemed to mean the entirety of it. Rachel should go back to Finn, because she loved him. It was so contrary to what Quinn had been telling her for the past few years, that Finn held her down, that she should leave him and be free. What, then, had changed Quinn's mind about all that?

Initially, it occurred to Rachel that Quinn was merely pushing her away because she had finished with her. She'd gotten what she'd wanted and now she was done. But that wasn't Quinn, not at all. That was Santana or Noah - but never Quinn. Quinn knew what intimacy meant, she paid great reverence to it, so she wouldn't be intimate with Rachel unless she was serious about it. Even if neither of them were thinking when it happened the first time.

Besides, Quinn had clearly been triggered by Rachel pulling her hand away in front of Finn, whether she wanted to admit it or not, and that made it an act of jealousy and fear. Fear that Rachel would end up back with Finn anyway, and while Rachel had thought about it, had compared the two of them while they both sat there awkwardly, had wondered if she could handle being with someone who absolutely did not need her in any way, now that Quinn was pulling away - Rachel wanted nothing more than to pull her back.

This despite the fact that now that Quinn wasn't attached at her hip, Finn was following her like a lost puppy dog, sitting next to her when she plopped next to Kurt, sharing popcorn with her, smiling at her hopefully each time she glanced his way. And Rachel felt...something. A tingle in her heart, perhaps, when he smiled at her. But that was all. It wasn't the great surge of joy she once felt.

So Quinn, she decided, was right about one thing. Rachel still loved Finn. But she was falling _out_ of love with him. Time and his abandonment and Quinn's perfection had been washing him away, and if Quinn would only give it time, Rachel was certain she could move on from him entirely.

Although maybe that wasn't fair to Finn. Maybe he did deserve another chance, or at least to be heard. Not that he'd given _her_ a chance to be heard when he went running off to enlist with the army.

Rachel remained conflicted through most of the rest of the day, while the group huddled around the campfire, playing games, singing songs, and eating up most of what they'd bought that morning. It was growing windier by evening, even in their little clearing, and so they all stayed close to the fire or in their tents right up until bedtime.

Santana and Brittany changed together, as per usual, leaving Quinn and Rachel standing silently there, until Finn approached. And this time, he didn't stop.

"Hey, uh, Rachel, could we - "

"Not now," Rachel cut in, sighing up at his hopeful face. "Some other time. Okay?"

Finn opened his mouth only once before he nodded in acceptance and retreated, and Quinn was either pretending or really hadn't heard a word of it. She was looking off into the woods somewhere, hands in her pockets, and Rachel breathed another sigh before stepping into the tent to change. Once they were all settled in their bags, Quinn with the flashlight under her chin and book propped up on her chest, Santana and Brittany either sleeping or pretending to sleep, Rachel stared across at Quinn, gnawing on her bottom lip as she looked over the perfect nose, lips, brow, cast in a yellow glow.

"So I guess you got what you wanted," Rachel whispered, trying to sound hurt, but she had a feeling it only came out impish.

Especially when Quinn only hummed, "Mm?"

"One day and then you're done," she sighed out. "Surprise, surprise. Quinn Fabray used Rachel Berry - again."

"You know that's not what this is about," Quinn said at last, and Rachel smuggled down a smile when she was pinned with hazel eyes. "I would never do that to you. Which is why I'm not holding you back from being with the person you love."

Rachel frowned. "I don't love him the way I used to."

"But you still do. There's still something between you."

"He was my first love. And yours - are you telling me there's nothing between you and him now? Or you and Noah?"

Quinn bit her lower lip, but said nothing for a moment. "Neither of them were my first love. And yes. There's nothing between us."

Rachel drummed her fingers on the cotton fabric beneath her. "Why are you being so difficult about this?"

"I'm trying to do right by you."

"Isn't it up to me what's right for me?" Rachel scowled. "You're just the same as him about that. But at least you're talking to me about it, I suppose."

Quinn's brow furrowed and her head lolled to look at Rachel again. "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "He left. Without asking, without talking, without a word, he just took off. He just decided that he should be out of the picture and I should choose Broadway. He didn't even give us a chance to have it all, _me_ a chance to tell him that's what I wanted. I didn't get a choice in the matter. You're doing the same thing, only you're telling me that's what you're doing. You're leaving me to him, because you've decided that's what I should do. Do either of you ever consider what _I_ might want to do?"

Rachel puffed out a breath, rolling onto her back and folding her arms across her chest. She poked out her bottom lip for good measure. She was tired of it. Of being told what to do, who to be with, how to live. Never being listened to. Not by Finn, not by Quinn. She had to wonder if Quinn would have done the same as Finn, had she had the chance. Just disappear into the night without a word, only she couldn't do so here, in this isolated camping ground. Here, she had no choice but to face Rachel, and so she just stubbornly refused to hear anything Rachel had to say in place of leaving.

"I'm sorry."

"Excuse me?" Rachel looked over abruptly, eyebrows popping up.

Quinn slid onto her side, closing the book and dropping the flashlight down with it. "I'm sorry, Rachel. What is it you want?"

Rachel stared cautiously for only a moment before she rolled onto her side as well, propping herself up on her elbow. "I want you, Quinn. I want to be with you."

Quinn chewed on her lip and rose to her elbow as well, blonde hair dangling temptingly along her long neck. "And what about what you said to Finn?"

"I should hear him out. Just like the two of you should hear me out. But that doesn't mean I'll want to get back together with him by the end."

She nodded, seeming to concede that point. "But you could want to. And I don't want to stand in your way if that does happen."

She sighed. "So, what, we have to wait until I've talked with Finn?"

"I think that would be wise."

Rachel pursed her lips. "Okay."

Before she could make it out of the tent, Quinn hauled her back with a laugh, bringing Rachel tumbling back onto her all over again, and Rachel couldn't help but grin as she peered up at Quinn from her chest. Those beautiful hazel eyes sparkled even in the darkness.

"Not this very moment," Quinn chuckled, tenderly sweeping Rachel's hair from her face.

Rachel closed her eyes, some deep part of her loosening in relief with Quinn's touch. "Why not?"

"He's probably sleeping," she whispered, brushing the pads of her thumbs across Rachel's cheeks and leaving a peck on the tip of her nose.

Rachel grumbled despite her contentedness. "Don't do that unless you're going to kiss me for real."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just kiss me."

She flicked her eyes open, finding Quinn struggling with her bottom lip. But she didn't lean in. She only stroked Rachel's hair and along her back, and though it felt like heaven, Rachel sighed and drooped against Quinn's chest. A moment later, Quinn's chin settled on the top of her head.

"There's one other thing."

Rachel whined, squirming. "Nooo."

Quinn chuckled. "I'm sorry...but. This all came on suddenly and only because we're out here, in - "

"No, not only because we're out here." She lifted her head with a frown. "Because I have always harbored an attraction to you. It may be the circumstances that brought us together, but it doesn't mean it's any less real. I like you, Quinn."

She sighed. "I like you, too. But to be sure…"

Rachel braced herself. "What?"

"I think...we should wait…"

"We're already waiting."

"Until you've settled in, in New York. Maybe...maybe give it a month, and if you still want me…"

"A _month_?" Rachel gawked, almost choking on the idea - a _day_ had been hell, a whole month without Quinn's touches and kisses and sweetness? "God, next thing you're going to suggest I spend a month with Finn and a month with you, _just to be sure_!"

Quinn seemed to consider this. Rachel scowled.

"_No_! I'm not doing that. Quinn, God...I know you have insecurities and I know you have every right to be insecure about my relationship with Finn, given everything that's happened, but don't you think that's a _little_ overboard?" She ran her fingers through Quinn's hair, to ease the harshness of her words.

"Okay, fine. No Finn. Unless you decide you want to be with him, after your talk, of course. But I still think a month apart, in your normal environment, is a good idea."

"Not a month. A week," Rachel groaned.

Quinn shook her head. "A week is not enough to acclimate yourself. Three weeks."

"That's basically the same!" She huffed. "One and a half."

"Two."

Rachel pursed her lips. "Fine. Talk with Finn and two weeks. And then we'll be together."

"If you still want me," Quinn agreed.

She stared down at her pityingly, stroking down her jaw. "How could anyone not want you?" Just in case, she set her finger over Quinn's opening mouth. "Don't start listing, I have counterpoints for all of it."

Finally, Quinn smiled, and Rachel grinned back at her beautiful face before she settled her head down again, listening to the thump-thumps beneath her ear with bliss.

A throat cleared. "Are you two done having drama now so we can have sex?"

Rachel groaned.

#

Quinn was gone again the next morning, boots and jacket gone, but when Rachel emerged from the tent, she quickly found out why. The haywagon and the big Belgians were back, and everyone was packing up the campground. Quinn was in the midst of helping Santana and Brittany load their suitcases up into the back, but she hopped down to meet Rachel the moment they met eyes.

"What's going on? I thought we weren't leaving until tomorrow…"

Quinn caught her arm and steered her back toward the tent. "There's a big storm moving in. Get your stuff packed, and I'll load it up for you."

"The weather was supposed to be clear this week!" she grumped.

But she bent back into the tent to roll up her sleeping bag and pack away the remainder of her things, and Quinn grabbed up the giant suitcase to load into the wagon. They all managed to pull down the tent together, and Quinn helped Rachel on and off the wagon again. There was no Greyhound bus waiting for them just yet - it was still scheduled to be there at noon tomorrow, after all - but Mr. Schuester's friend was letting them stay in the guest house.

It started raining heavy drops even before the wagon was unloaded into the house, and Quinn sent Rachel inside. She managed to help with divvying up the sleeping arrangements. The girls and Kurt would split the three bedrooms - which Rachel thought worked out nicely. Santana and Brittany could be as loud as they wanted tonight, and so could she and Quinn. That is, if Rachel could get her to do anything. The boys and Mr. Schuester, in the meantime, could split the couch and floor however they liked.

Though Rachel couldn't really drag her own suitcase anywhere - it was practically her weight and height - she managed to mark off her bedroom with Quinn with said blonde's suitcase and guarded the door until Quinn came up with her case.

It was thundering when they all settled around the TV for breakfast. And, as it turned out, lunch and dinner, too. In fact, no one did much of anything except for occasionally argue over what channel it was on, what to watch, and whine about the weather. The whiner was usually told to shut up, of course, but they all wound up taking a turn or two on the boredom-induced grousing.

Everyone except Quinn, of course, who read the entire day, while Rachel leaned up against her. She even managed to fall asleep at one point, between the steady thudding of Quinn's heart and the uneven rumbling of the thunder outside somehow creating a rhythm that Rachel couldn't resist. When she woke, there was a throw over top of her, but Quinn was gone - completely gone. Rachel even checked their room, but there was no sign of her, and when she asked the group, they just waved hands or mumbled at her. Useless, as always.

Even when Quinn came back in, soaked to the bone, her sweater clinging to her body like a second skin. Rachel nearly screeched at the sight of her, but instead chose to drag her upstairs as fast as she could, lecturing all the while about disappearing, going out in the middle of a thunderstorm, and scaring her half to death. Quinn's explanation was feeble at best, in Rachel's opinion - of course, she only offered it once Rachel stopped speaking for a moment, when they were safely in their room.

"I went to the stables to see the horses."

Rachel glowered at her. "This is hardly the weather for exploration, Quinn Fabray. Now take off these clothes before you catch something."

She went immediately to lift off the sweater - and with it came her shirt, as well, they were so tightly wound together. Quinn lifted her arms cooperatively, dripping from her hair, her nose, her ears, her chin - dripping everywhere. Little droplets of water slipping down the valleys and dips in her porcelain skin, down her long neck, alongside a tendon, pausing at the dip between her collarbones. Quinn quivered, and it dropped, slipping between her breasts, her nipples dark against the soaked white bra.

Rachel surged forward in spite of herself, sucking the rain from Quinn's neck thirstily, and gripped her hair, her face, holding her close. She felt Quinn take a breath - to say something, maybe to tell her to stop - but she didn't. She sighed that pleased sigh of hers, the one that told Rachel she was doing something very right, and curled her fingers into Rachel's shirt. Encouraged, Rachel doubled her efforts to lick up every droplet in sight, lapping at her breasts while she stepped backward, toward the bed - how conventional, she thought in amusement.

Quinn pressed Rachel toward the bed, but she was quick to switch their positions, to lay Quinn back instead so she could pull the button of her jeans loose, yank them off her long, long legs. They wound up inside out on the floor, as did Quinn's squelching socks and shoes, and as Rachel went to take care of her bra and panties, too, to completely reveal that gorgeous body, she noticed Quinn suddenly shivering - and she paused, brow furrowing.

"Are you okay?" she cooed, leaning over top of her, and Quinn nodded quickly - unconvincingly.

"Just cold," she breathed.

Rachel bit her lip and grabbed one of the quilts from the end of the bed, sweeping it around her own shoulders before she flattened herself to Quinn's body and rolled, creating a cocoon like the sleeping bag for them. Quinn laughed, and though it was interspersed with the sounds of teeth chattering, it brought a smile to Rachel's face. When they stopped rolling, she wriggled her arms out, enough to stroke Quinn's wet hair back, away from her face.

"Better?"

Quinn nodded, smiling a little. "Much."

"Good."

Rachel grinned briefly before she nuzzled her nose against Quinn's, peering into those bright, sparkling hazel eyes with such joy she couldn't describe. Her heart wanted to burst from her chest with it, wanted to sing to the world. But Quinn opened her mouth, and her heart dropped. She knew what she was going to say, even before the words made it out.

"We still need to wait."

Rachel sighed.


End file.
